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(No Model.)

G.'E. WOOD. WASHING MAGHINE-v Patented Jan. 3, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC GEORGE E. \VOOD, OF DEL NORTE, COLORADO,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK I. PRUDEN, OF SAME PLACE.

WASHING-MACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,858, dated January3, 1888.

Applic. tion filed March 10, 1857. Serial No. 210,434.

To all whom it may concern,-

Be it known that I,- GEORGE E. W001), a citizen of the United States,residing at Del Norte, in the county of Rio Grande and State ofOolorado,,have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin tashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing-machines; and its object is to providea simple and improved hand washing-machine possessing advantages inpoint of inexpensiveness, durability, and efficiency, and by the use ofwhich the labor and wear upon the clothing and the time required forcleansing the same will be reduced to a minimum.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a washing-machineembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal Verticalsectional viewthereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View. Fig. 4 is adetail sectional view taken through the valve-box. Fig. 5 is a detailtop or plan view of the valve mechanism, the cap being removed. Fig. 6is a detail perspectiveview illustrating the valve and slide.

Corresponding parts in the figures are denoted by the same letters ofreference.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a bar forming the handle, ateach end of which are provided downwardly-extending rods B B, secured tothe lower ends of which are transverse tubes G O. A tube 0 is thusprovided at each end of the washingmachine, and from each end of thesaid tubes Oproject down weirdly-extending auxiliary tubes 0, carryingat their lower ends conical shells D. Suitable bracing-strips, E,approximately V shape in crosssection, are provided to connect and bracethe pair of conical shells at each end of the Washing-machine.

F designates a longitudinal tube, which eX- tends from one transversetube 0 to the other and braces the same. The ends of this longitudinaltube open into the tubes 0, and for this purpose the latter are providedwith openings or orifices c to receive the corresponding ends of thetube F.

Centrally upon the connecting-tube F is provided a vertically-disposedvalvebox, G, preferably of cylindrical form, and having its lower (Nomodel.)

end opening into the tube F through an opening, 9, in said tube, saidopening beingsmaller in diameter than the interior diameter of saidvalve-box. By this construction the water and snds, which pass upwardinto the tube F'55 when the pou nder is rgglgedmre pFevented fromentering the valve-box G and choking the airvalve therein.- Thisvalve-box is provided with a bottom, located somewhat above the openingg in the tubeF and forming the valveseat, and said bottom is providedwith a central orifice or opening, g, for the passage of the air. Thevalve is formed of a plate, H, preferably triangular in shape, whichrests normally upon the bottom This plate is acted upon by avertically-disposed sliding plate, I, setin the cylindricalvalve-box,and provided with an extended top end, i, which end is tapered nearly toa point.

J designates a cylindrical cap-piece fitting over the correspondingvalve-box and serving to retain the sliding plate and valve fromdisplacement. At its top the cap is provided with a circumferentialseries of openings, j, for the passage of air.

In operation the wash-tub is filled about one-half or two-thirds full ofclothes, (or a smaller number of articles may be washed, if desircd,)and the suds are then poured over the clothes. To cleanse the latter,the ma- 8o chine herein described is placed upon the clothes, and arocking motion is produced by moving the handle A and causing theconical shells to rock up and down alternately, thus producing anair-pressure which forces the 5 suds or water through the fabric andcleanses the same with but a small expenditure of labor and a minimumwear upon the clothes. During the operation ofthe device the air passesfreely from the conical shells through the tubes 0 G and into theconnecting-tube F, and as the device is rocked the shells are raisedalternately, and the air being shut ofi' by the valve causes the waterto be forced through the clothing by the air-pressure, a vacuum beingformed at the base of the conical shells. By the operation of the valvemechanism to shut the air off at the proper time all the airpressure isutilized.

In washingmachines of this class as heretofore constructed escapeopenings have been provided in the transverse tubes 0, or in shortbranch pipes projecting therefrom, there being no connection between thetransverse pipes at each end of the machine. By this construction alarge percentage of the air-pressure is lost by the escape of the airatthe openings in the transverse tube. Pounder washing machines have alsobeen heretofore eonstructed with a tube connecting a shell at each endof the machine and formed with branches disposed near each end andhaving valved plugs.

To obviate the objections above noted and to effect and utilize thecomplete air-suction are the purposes of my invention, embodying alongitudinal connectingtube opening into the transverse tubes at the endof the machine and providedwith acentrally-located valve, which isalternatelyopened and closed asthe machine is rocked during theoperation of washing.

I claim as my invention- The combination, in a washing-machine, with thetransverse end tubes, 0, having their ends opening into and carrying theconical shells D, ofa longitudinal tube, F, connecting the transverseend tubes and having its ends opening into "the same, said longitudinaltube being provided on its upper side with a hole, 9, near its center,acylindrical valve-box, G, larger in interior diameter than said hole 9,and disposed over said hole 9, concentrically therewith, a bottom,located in said valvebox somewhat above the tube F, whereby a chamber isformed between said tube and bottom forthe purpose set forth,said'bottom being provided with a hole forming a valve-seat.

and a downwardly-closing slide valve in said valve-box above the bottomthereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. W'OOD. Witnesses:

H. M. DYER, R. B. PRUDEN.

